For the second time since the invasion of Lebanon, Israeli shells
falling short of their mark pounded the Soviet embassy in West Beirut
last week, ripping through walls and shattering windows. After the
bombardment, the Kremlin brusquely warned Israel that the Soviet Union
could not be indifferent to what was going on in the Middle East. But
at a time when efforts to end the Israeli encirclement of West Beirut
were reaching a critical stage, the message from Moscow seemed a minor
diplomatic...